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j.d. daniels

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Blogs by j.d. daniels

Through Pelican Eyes
1/5/2014 5:10:28 AM

My journey leading me to Through Pelican Eyes...
I'm a big fan of CSI, Criminal Minds and NCIS. So writing mysteries makes sense. But is it an easy task? Oh, no. Not for someone like me who likes to free write and who spent years scooping out her imaginative side of her brain to the detriment of her rational side.

I've been taking myself seriously as a writer since the 80s. At first, publication wasn't that important a part of my equation. I used my writing as therapy to resolve past issues. Oh, I did publish a few poems as a grad student and was thrilled when I did. And I was able to use a collection of the surreal poems as my dissertation to get my Doctor of Arts from Drake University. I was also invited to be a visiting poet at a conference. I'd almost forgotten about that. But I never attempted to get the collection published. Instead, I packed my bags and started a many year journey into finding out who I was--all the time writing.

Later, when I decided I should attempt to get my books published I sent out countless query letters and received more than countless rejections. I landed a couple of agents--one dropped me when I said to him about my first written novel: "I mean, I'm not sure it's a thriller, but it was thrilling to write." I mean, I'd drop me too. What a ditz. The second agent who was interested in my work dropped me too, but not until he reviewed and attempted to get a publisher for more than two of my novels. I still appreciate that effort.

I spent five years researching and writing a biography. Both the college I teach for and The Iowa Arts Council sponsored that endeavor. It was published in 2005. I did no marketing for it.

So, no agent. But did I stop writing? Oh, no. By now I had figured out how to live the life of a writer and I had dealt enough with my past garbage that I began to study the craft of writing, thus bringing the rational side of my brain more to the forefront.

My lifelong partner taught me how to supplement my income and I will be forever grateful. I continued to teach writing as an adjunct, learned how to restore an old house while living in half of it and renting out the other half, bought a small rental house--restored it and used the combination of rental income and income from the part-time teaching to be able to write daily. Being an adjunct means that you don't have to go to mind-deadening committee meetings. This of course is a plus. The minuses? Don't get me started.

Publishing poems and flash fiction in literary journals was empowering--made me feel like some readers out there just might think my words were worth reading. Cool.

As the years past, I wrote four novels, one novella, many short stories and a number of poems. My stack of journals grew and toppled over on my office floor.

Last year my collection of poetry, Say Yes was published. After my reading at Prairie Lights Bookstore in Iowa City, the book soared to the top of the local bestseller list. How fun.

During all this, when I sent a first mystery attempt to a New York editor for review, he read it and made the comment: "I'm not sure you have the DNA to write a mystery." Whoops! He shouldn't have said that. I took it as a challenge and spent several years attempting to prove him wrong. And so, we have Through Pelican eyes....The First Jessie Murphy Mystery.

As the owner of Savvy Press would say: Woot! Woot!

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More Blogs by j.d. daniels
• Reading/Book Signing for Through Pelican Eyes - Thursday, March 13, 2014
• Launch Party for Through Pelican Eyes - Thursday, March 13, 2014
• Release of Through Pelican Eyes - Thursday, March 13, 2014
• New Blog Post - Thursday, March 13, 2014
• New Website - Monday, February 17, 2014
• Writer Talk - Wednesday, January 15, 2014
• Writer's Fear - Thursday, January 9, 2014
• 2nd Edition of The Old Wolf Lady: Mawewa Mepemoa - Wednesday, January 8, 2014
• Sweets and Words - Tuesday, January 7, 2014
• Art Inspiring Poetry--My recent experience - Monday, January 6, 2014
• Through Pelican Eyes - Sunday, January 5, 2014
• Robert Stein Endorsement for Mystery - Saturday, January 4, 2014
• THROUGH PELICAN EYES ENDORSEMENT - Saturday, January 4, 2014
• THROUGH PELICAN EYES - Sunday, December 29, 2013
• Prairie Wolf Press Review - Saturday, November 9, 2013
• Issue 71 of Doorknobs & BodyPaint - Wednesday, September 4, 2013
• Istanbul - Tuesday, September 3, 2013
• Say Yes Review - Monday, August 26, 2013
• Audio of Prairie Light Bookstore Reading - Saturday, July 27, 2013
• Say Yes as ebook - Tuesday, July 16, 2013
• Say Yes as ebook - Tuesday, July 16, 2013
• A Book of Poetry a Best Seller? - Tuesday, July 9, 2013
• Prepping for a reading - Wednesday, June 26, 2013
• Poetry Reading - Wednesday, June 19, 2013
• So Much Fun - Saturday, April 13, 2013
• Island Visions - Friday, April 12, 2013
• SAY YES Released - Thursday, April 4, 2013
• Say Yes - Saturday, March 30, 2013
• Release of SAY YES - Thursday, March 28, 2013
• Release of Issue V of Prairie Wolf Press Review - Wednesday, March 20, 2013
• Interviewing Crab Fisherfolk - Tuesday, March 12, 2013
• ArtPoems 2013 Performance & Dance Alliance - Saturday, March 9, 2013
• Poetry/Dance - Thursday, February 21, 2013
• Prairie Wolf Press Review - Thursday, February 21, 2013
• Sleuthfest Sarasota - Wednesday, February 20, 2013
• Sleuthfest 2013 in Sarasota - Wednesday, February 13, 2013
• Free Reading of Cozy Mystery Chapter One - Wednesday, February 13, 2013
• Short Story Publication - Monday, February 4, 2013
• Through Pelican Eyes: Chapter One - Tuesday, January 29, 2013
• Through Pelican Eyes - Sunday, January 27, 2013
• Poetry Publication - Saturday, January 12, 2013
• PEN Women - Saturday, January 12, 2013
• Reading in Swisher - Saturday, October 13, 2012
• Travel and Writing - Saturday, October 13, 2012
• The Waiting Game--Why? - Wednesday, August 15, 2012
• PNWA Conference - Saturday, August 4, 2012
• PNWA Conference - Saturday, August 4, 2012
• PNWA Conference - Saturday, August 4, 2012
• New Story Publication - Sunday, June 3, 2012
• PEN Women - Wednesday, May 23, 2012
• Prairie Wolf Press on Facebook - Saturday, April 21, 2012
• Prairie Wolf Press Review, Issue III - Wednesday, March 21, 2012
• Poem Publication - Monday, January 30, 2012
• The Making OF... - Monday, November 28, 2011
• Electronic 2nd Edition Publication - Monday, November 14, 2011
• Issue Two of Prairie Wolf Press Live!! - Saturday, October 29, 2011
• The Old Wolf Lady - Wednesday, October 19, 2011
• Myopia--a short story - Sunday, October 16, 2011
• Prairie Wolf Press Review News - Sunday, October 16, 2011
• Poetry Publication in riverbabble 19 - Wednesday, June 22, 2011
• In Secret Kept - Monday, June 6, 2011
• Mystery is done!! - Saturday, April 30, 2011
• Poets & Writers Directory - Saturday, April 23, 2011
• The Matlacha Mystery - Tuesday, April 19, 2011
• Release of New Online Journal - Tuesday, March 22, 2011
• Blue by Lou Aronica - Friday, February 4, 2011
• Poem Publication - Sunday, January 30, 2011
• Writers Life: December 4th - Saturday, December 4, 2010
• Writers Life: December 3rd, 2010 - Friday, December 3, 2010
• Writers Life: November 27th - Saturday, November 27, 2010
• Writer's Life, Nov. 20th, 2010 - Saturday, November 20, 2010
• Writer's Life: Nov. 19th, 2010 - Friday, November 19, 2010
• Postrejection Reflection... - Thursday, November 18, 2010
• Story Acceptance: Doorknobs, Issue 60 - Wednesday, November 17, 2010
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• The Old Wolf Lady: A Biography - Saturday, November 13, 2010
• Prairie Wolf Press: A New Home - Wednesday, October 27, 2010
• Call for Submissions - Sunday, October 10, 2010
• Waiting - Saturday, October 9, 2010
• Iowa Center for the Book - Tuesday, September 14, 2010
• Me--On Writing - Saturday, September 11, 2010
• Call for Submissions - Wednesday, September 1, 2010
• Doorknobs & BodyPaint: Two More Stories - Friday, August 27, 2010
• Prairie Wolf Press - Sunday, August 15, 2010
• riverbabble 17 - Tuesday, June 29, 2010
• New Online Literary Journal to Launch - Tuesday, June 22, 2010
• Pelican Totem: A Response to the Gulf Disaster - Sunday, June 20, 2010
• Published Essay Online - Friday, June 4, 2010
• Doorknobs & BodyPaint - Thursday, June 3, 2010
• Three New Flash Fiction Publications - Saturday, May 29, 2010
• Inspiration - Friday, May 14, 2010
• Four Queries Sent Out - Wednesday, May 12, 2010
• St. Martin's Books/Hillerman Mystery Contest - Wednesday, May 12, 2010
• The Royal Palm Literary Contest - Wednesday, May 12, 2010
• riverbabble, issue 16 - Tuesday, February 9, 2010
• Short Story Acceptance - Tuesday, January 26, 2010
• A Question About Editors - Saturday, January 23, 2010
• My Secret - Monday, January 11, 2010
• Doorknobs & BodyPaint/Issue 56 - Tuesday, December 1, 2009
• Writer's Mania - Tuesday, December 1, 2009
• One down, Second in Progress - Sunday, October 25, 2009
• A first--A Novella - Friday, September 25, 2009
• Three New Story Publications - Tuesday, September 8, 2009
• The Andre Dubus III Story - Monday, September 7, 2009
• A New Must Read - Monday, September 7, 2009
• Flash Fiction Publication - Friday, August 28, 2009
• A Must Own - Friday, August 21, 2009
• Returning to my Writing - Thursday, August 6, 2009
• Northwest Writers Conference - Monday, August 3, 2009
• Northwest Writers Conference - Saturday, August 1, 2009
• Writers Conference - Tuesday, June 9, 2009
• Dearest, I Am Going Mad Again - Wednesday, May 27, 2009
• Orhan Pamuk - Wednesday, May 13, 2009
• That's all--it helps - Thursday, April 23, 2009
• Many Lives/Many Masters - Saturday, April 18, 2009
• Full Synopsis Horror - Wednesday, April 15, 2009
• Agatha Christie - Tuesday, March 31, 2009
• Doorknobs & BodyPaint Fantastic Flash Fiction - Tuesday, March 24, 2009
• David Foster Wallace - Friday, March 20, 2009
• Working at finding my zone - Tuesday, March 3, 2009
• How do you keep fit? - Saturday, February 21, 2009
• Acceptance of Two Stories - Thursday, February 19, 2009
• Query/Synopsis Writing - Wednesday, February 18, 2009
• The Agent Search - Monday, February 2, 2009
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• First Paragraphs - Sunday, January 4, 2009
• The Bookseller of Kabul - Friday, January 2, 2009
• Bringing in 2009 - Wednesday, December 31, 2008
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• Are you a writer? - Monday, December 22, 2008
• Giving up Control - Saturday, December 20, 2008
• Advice from Poet Jane Miller - Friday, December 19, 2008
• Motivation for Novel Writing - Saturday, December 13, 2008
• My Revised Manuscript - Friday, December 12, 2008
• Manuscript Progress - Tuesday, December 9, 2008
• Gulf Coast Writers Workshop - Saturday, November 15, 2008
• Relocation & Routine - Thursday, November 13, 2008
• Wow! So Cool! - Sunday, October 19, 2008
• A New York Reading - Sunday, October 5, 2008
• A New Independent Press Venture - Sunday, October 5, 2008
• Seattle Retreat - Sunday, August 24, 2008
• Another Kindred Spirit Emerges - Wednesday, July 23, 2008
• Parched - Sunday, July 20, 2008
• Iowa Summer Writers Workshop - Sunday, July 20, 2008
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• I put the manuscript in the mail!! - Friday, May 23, 2008
• Send me Good Energy - Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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• Keeping the Faith - Tuesday, May 13, 2008
• Relocated - Thursday, May 8, 2008
• Getting Closer: Conquering the Pain Body - Friday, April 25, 2008
• Enemies - Monday, April 14, 2008
• A Must Read - Tuesday, April 8, 2008
• The Jewel I took away from the Book Fest and Conference - Sunday, April 6, 2008
• Naple Press Club Annual Authors & Book Fest - Thursday, April 3, 2008
• Second Web Page - Saturday, March 29, 2008
• Multiple Scars Excerpt - Friday, March 28, 2008
• Revision--again and again - Thursday, March 27, 2008
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• The Revision Game - Friday, February 15, 2008
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• Matlacha Writers Group - Tuesday, February 12, 2008
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• Naples Writer's Conference - Monday, January 29, 2007
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• I've never known a writer - Wednesday, December 6, 2006
• Bloody Hell & Under the Hawthorne Tree - Wednesday, November 29, 2006
• Two New Stories Published - Tuesday, November 21, 2006
• La Push Inspiration - Saturday, August 19, 2006
• Doorknobs & Body Paint Online Journal Acceptance - Saturday, August 19, 2006
• Directory of Iowa Artists & Performing Groups - Friday, July 21, 2006
• Razor Sharp Guidance - Thursday, June 22, 2006
• Iowa City Library Book Appearance - Saturday, May 27, 2006
• Women's Archives Collection: The University of Iowa - Saturday, May 27, 2006
• Writing Coach/Editor Extraordinaire: Suzanne Kelsey - Saturday, May 27, 2006
• Author! Screenwriter! by Peter Miller - Saturday, May 27, 2006
• Poetry Acceptance: Poetry in Public - Wednesday, April 5, 2006
• Cape Coral Florida Public Library - Sunday, January 15, 2006
• I Sure Hope You're Joyce - Sunday, January 15, 2006
• Pine Island Writing Seminar - Sunday, January 15, 2006
• Coffee Talk - Wednesday, September 14, 2005
• It's Out There! - Monday, May 2, 2005
• The Old Wolf Lady - Friday, April 1, 2005
• Upcoming publication - Tuesday, February 1, 2005